Maravi

Fighting corruption the Rupiah, Chiluba way

Fighting corruption the Rupiah, Chiluba way
By The Post
Thu 25 Feb. 2010, 04:00 CAT

THERE’S so much talk about “peace” in Zambia today, especially by those in government.

But when one carefully analyses this whole emphasis on peace by those in government, it is not difficult to discern that what they mean is that they should be allowed to steal, abuse, mismanage, misuse, misapply public funds without being called upon to account.

They see anyone calling on them to account for public funds and other resources as troublemakers out to disturb the “peace”.

Right now Rupiah Banda and his government are the most staunch defenders of corruption. They have adopted Chiluba’s corruption as their own.

They are making sure that any legal processes that may result in him being found to have stolen public funds, to be corrupt in any way are frustrated or outrightly stopped.

This is a government that made sure that Chiluba was acquitted of corruption in the magistrate’s court and no appeal was allowed.

This is a government that emphasises and defends Chiluba’s acquittal by our magistrate’s court but does not want in any way to recognise and accept the conviction by our magistrate’s court of his wife, Regina, for receiving stolen money from him.

They have allowed Regina’s appeal but not that of the state against Chiluba. With this behaviour of theirs, it will not be wrong for people to fear that Regina’s appeal will be characterised by similar issues. It will not also be wrong for anyone to think they will deal with the cases involving other members of Chiluba’s tandem of thieves in a similar manner when their appeals are heard.

In fact, Rupiah’s government cannot be trusted when it comes to the handling of these appeal cases.

We say this because it is folly to expect them to stretch themselves to the utmost and ensure that the convictions against these corrupt friends of Chiluba, who have now become also their friends, are upheld. We fear that they will do everything possible to bungle these cases so that their friends can go scot-free.

We will not also be surprised to see them fail to register the London High Court judgment against Chiluba and his tandem of thieves. It will be naïve for anyone to expect Rupiah’s government to enforce such a judgment against Chiluba.

But those talking about “peace” should not forget that the enjoyment of the right to peace also requires justice. Without justice, there will be no peace.

It is injustice to let Chiluba and his crooked friends steal Zambian taxpayers money and then abuse power to manipulate the judicial process of our country to free them from going to jail and from paying back what they have stolen.

We deem it opportune now to speak about justice. There cannot be peace without justice. They are twin sisters. Justice demands that all citizens have a right to share in the wealth of our country. God has given us all we need to preserve and develop life in this country.

He has given us these gifts to our whole national family and it is our duty to ensure that these gifts are equitably shared among all God’s children in this country.

No one should be allowed to steal from others, to rob others or to get a lion’s share of what belongs to all of us. It follows that all shall have some share in available material resources, in political aspirations, in government services, and so on and so forth.

To be engaged in corruption, to rob other citizens of their share is injustice.

Well, the word “peace” has become the most spoken word in our country today. We all want and long for peace. The future of our country and the happiness of all our people will depend on our ability to maintain peace in our country and on the kind of that peace. We say this because there are many kinds of peace.

There is peace in death where a sign is put on one’s grave “RIP” (Rest in Peace – some would say “Return if Possible”).

There is the “peace” one experiences after the total extermination of one’s enemies. There is the “peace” in which people do not talk to one another, “the peace of the dumb,” because people hate and fear one another, because there is selfishness, greed, pride and so many other walls they have built between themselves.

None of these is peace, none can be called peace. Indeed we need peace that is worthy of human beings, enjoyed by everyone.

No human being will exert one’s energies for meaningless peace. Looking at what is going on in our country today – the corruption, the protection and glorification of corrupt and rotten elements like Chiluba – it is frightful and detestable.

So we ask ourselves: “What kind of peace does Zambia need today? Not just any peace, but the kind of peace people are prepared to struggle for, to expend their energies and even to die.”

Clearly, this leads us to a vision of a Zambia without corruption and injustice in which the innocent receive justice and in which corrupt elements are made to pay the price of their corruption.

From now on we should not be just working for peace in Zambia but for the kind of peace we want to see in Zambia, for our vision of a better and happier Zambia. We should set before us a vision of a Zambia in which there is no more corruption and abuse, in which there is no injustice.

Corruption in Zambia has reached alarming proportions. And we should realise that the harm done to our people due to corruption cannot be measured in monetary terms alone. Corruption is destroying the moral fibre of the nation, especially when it takes place among government officials and even the forces of public order.

Although even the most corrupt government officials, even those who are defending Chiluba’s corruption and are abusing their power and public institutions to enable him escape punishment and liability are also talking about fighting corruption, it seems clear that the Zambian people are not yet satisfied that the government has taken the necessary steps to curb corruption.

Stronger leadership at the highest levels needs to be shown to build up public confidence and to set examples and standards of honesty and selflessness.

A start must be made to share the goods of this country more equitably, more fairly among all our people. If people are hungry, let us be hungry together.

The privileged few should not defend their well-stocked larder by making others go without the plenty they could have.

It is not enough to say that corruption as a moral evil is rooted in the heart of human beings. When corruption is generalised at various social levels, we have to look for the structures that are causing it.

The simple lesson of life itself is that although evil may be on the rampage temporarily, the good must win the laurels in the end.

Never before has our country witnessed the President and his entire government defend, support and glorify corrupt elements like we are seeing today under Rupiah.

And they are using state machinery – the courts, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Ministry of Justice, the Office of the Vice-President, the presidency and even Parliament – to defend corruption, to protect Chiluba and his evil deeds.

They have state power and they are using this to the full in their evil designs and quests. This doesn’t mean that it will be eternal – far from it, they are beset by all kinds of contradictions.

But this is the time we are in, and we think that, right now, the preservation of values is of decisive importance for all Zambians of goodwill – all who want the best for our country and who cherish the noblest sentiments.

No matter what happens, other times will come. Right now, we are in the midst of a huge wave of corruption, greed, selfishness and vanity; later, a huge wave of honesty, selflessness will come again. That is for certain. This is the corruption high water mark; another wave of honesty will sweep our country.

The people’s government protects the people. The corrupt people’s government protects the corrupt. Only when the people have a government that is truly theirs will their interests be served.

We welcome the support and encouragement of the Norwegian government and other Scandinavian governments, especially Sweden in our people’s fight against corruption.

There is need for solidarity and cooperation in this fight.

Yes, there is corruption everywhere including in Norway but here we are talking about the depth and nature of corruption.

It is not possible in a country like Norway for any politician or public official to openly support corruption and corrupt elements the way Rupiah and his friends are doing it here to defend and protect a thief like Chiluba.

There is also need to recognise the extraordinary effort that has been made by Auditor General Anna Chifungula.

It is not hard for one to do a bit of good, to fight corruption for a day, a week, a month, a year. What is hard is to do good, to fight evil all one’s life and never do anything bad, to act consistently in the interests of the broad masses and to engage in arduous struggle for decades on end.

That’s the hardest thing for all. Those who do it deserve our respect.
And this reminds us of an ancient Chinese fable called “The Foolish Old Man Who Removed the Mountains”. It tells us of an old man who lived in northern China long, long ago and was known as the Foolish Old Man of North Mountain.

His house faced south and beyond his door way stood the two great peaks, Taihang and Wangwu, obstructing the way. With great determination, he led his sons in digging up these mountains, hoe in hand.

Another grey beard, known as the Wise Old Man saw them and said derisively, “How silly of you to do this! It is quite impossible for you few to dig up these two huge mountains.”

The Foolish Old Man replied, “When I die, my sons will carry on; when they die, they will be my grandsons, and then their sons and grandsons, and so on to infinity.

High as they are, the mountains cannot grow any higher and with every bit we dig, they will be that much lower. Why can’t we clear them away?” Having refuted the Wise Old Man’s wrong view, he went on digging every day, unshaken in his conviction.

God was moved by this, and He sent down two angels, who carried the mountains away on their backs. Today, two big mountains lie like a dead weight on the Zambian people. One is corruption, the other is poverty. Let’s make up our minds and dig them up. We must persevere and work unceasingly, and we, too, will touch God’s heart.

Labels: CHILUBA, CORRUPTION, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 5:17 PM